People decide to get a COVID-19 vaccine for a variety of reasons – to protect their families, to protect their health, and to help society return to normal. Some people are skeptical or hesitant to get the vaccine. Vaccine skepticism among Latinos is caused by a variety of sources, such as historical trauma from healthcare mistreatment and misinformation about vaccines that is circulated on social media. But many people are having a change of heart and deciding to get a vaccine. As a part of their ongoing research on attitudes about COVID-19, the de Beaumont Foundation, along with pollster Frank Luntz, conducted focus groups to hear from people who had changed their minds about getting a COVID-19 vaccine. Let’s hear why some of these people wanted a vaccine after ...
Over 530 members of Salud America! endorsed our public comment to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in their Request for Information (RFI) on how to advance racial equity and diversity within the biomedical research workforce, as well as advancing research on health inequities. Other organizations like the Association of American Medical Colleges, the Council On Governmental Relations, and Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology also submitted comments. The RFI was open for comment from March 1 to April 23, 2021. At Salud America!, we believe that increasing diversity among research leaders and clinical trial participants will help achieve true health equity, especially for populations disproportionately impacted by health issues and COVID-19, like the ...
As the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines continue to be distributed across the country, we’re getting closer to herd immunity and ending the pandemic. One obstacle on this path is vaccine skepticism. Vaccine skepticism is caused by a variety of sources, such as historical trauma from healthcare mistreatment and misinformation about vaccines that is circulated on social media. Misinformation about vaccines is especially dangerous as it will often target Latino and Black communities, which have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 and are communities that most need the vaccine. Let’s go over the most common questions about COVID-19 vaccines, who is causing the spread of misinformation, and how to address it and build trust in ...
Prostate cancer has a big impact on the Latino community. One reason is that Latinos face a lack of easy-to-understand, culturally competent information — which leads to poor outcomes for those experiencing prostate cancer, according to a recent study published in BMC Public Health. “Black and Latino focus groups revealed the existence of cultural beliefs, misunderstandings and fears pertaining to [prostate cancer] which could influence health-related behaviors,” according to the researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and MD Anderson Cancer Center. “Some themes were common across groups; others suggested racial and gender predilections. Future targeted efforts focused on directly addressing prevalent misperceptions among underserved communities in urban settings ...
Patricia Chalela has always loved working in public health and being a valuable member of a team. Chalela is an associate professor at the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at UT Health San Antonio. Here she is an integral part of a team that studies how texting helps people quit smoking, trains students in research methods, and is learning the ins and outs of Latino cancer. Whatever the task, she is happy to help find ways to promote health in the Latino community, which suffers high rates of several diseases and cancer types. “I love what I do and I love to work with this team to make a difference for Latinos. It has been an amazing ride, really very rewarding,” Chalela said.
A Colombian Immigrant Who Came to Texas
Chalela was born in Colombia to a Lebanese ...
Cancer affects different people differently. For Latinos, the cancer survivorship journey is shaped by cultural and spiritual beliefs. Latinos also face struggles with barriers to care, screening, clinical trial participation, and patient-doctor communication. This is the focus of a new Spanish-language Facebook Live event, “Supervivencia: Viviendo a través y más allá del cáncer," set for 6-7:30 p.m. CST Monday, May 19, 2021. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) South Texas Chapter is sponsoring the event. Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio will host the event on its Facebook page. Register here for the Facebook Live event. The event will feature: Dr. José Cruz, MD, is a hematology and oncology expert with the Methodist Healthcare's Adult Blood and Marrow ...
Cancer impacts—and kills—too many people across the US, especially among Latinos. There are many reasons behind Latino cancer health disparities, including systemic racism and discrimination, cultural and language barriers, and a lack of clinical trial participation. As Latinos continue to deal with inequitable rates of cancer, as well as a lack of equitable care, we need greater action from all sectors to help in this issue. Let’s tweet with #SaludTues to raise awareness of challenges and solutions to Latino cancer disparities, and boost participation from the Latino community in clinical trials! WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: “The State of Latino Cancer”
WHERE: Twitter
WHEN: 1-2 p.m. ET (12-1 p.m. CT), Tuesday, May 4, 2021
HOST: Salud America! at UT ...
Latinos are the least likely group to get help with mental health treatment, according to a recent survey. This is due to stigma against mental illness, systemic distrust in mental health services, or lack of access to and knowledge of treatment, all of which is worsened amid COVID-19. This is why the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) offers free brochures and fact sheets on mental health disorders and related topics for patients and their families, health professionals, and the general public — in English and Spanish. "NIMH offers basic information on mental disorders and related topics in Spanish for patients and their families, health professionals, and the public," according to NIMH information. "Printed materials can be ordered free of charge and are available ...
The National Institute of Health (NIH) has announced a new initiative to address structural racism – the UNITE Initiative. “With representation from across the NIH Institutes and Centers, UNITE aims to establish an equitable and civil culture within the biomedical research enterprise and reduce barriers to racial equity in the biomedical research workforce,” according to the NIH website. NIH hopes that this initiative will help address racism and discrimination that has impacted healthcare throughout history. “Historical racism has led to the marginalization and oppression of Indigenous peoples, African Americans, Latinos, and other communities of color. … Structural racism has resulted in persistent health disparities, poor health status, and premature mortality as ...
